Sludge trap



R. S. HENRY SLUDGE TRAP Filed June 11, 1946 INVENTOR. 2/ BY Q y, V

Patented Aug. 10, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to a sludge trap, and more particularly to a trap for removing foreign matter from hydraulic circulating systems.

An important object of the invention is to provide a sludge trap embodying means for emptying and cleaning the same without loss of fluid from the circulating system in which the trap is incorporated.

Another object is the provision of a sludge trap having a shut-off valve-by which the trap can be shut off from the circulating system for purposes of cleaning or repairing the trap.

A further object is to provide a means incorporated in a sludge trap whereby fluid may be drained-01f from a circulating system.

' A still further object is the provision of airventing means in a sludge trap of a circulating system.

The above and other objects are accomplished by the hereinafter described sludge trap structure which is particularly applicable to automobile heater or cooling systems, domestic hot water heater circulating systems, or other hydraulic piping systems in which foreign matter is likely to be present in the circulatingmedium.

The invention comprises briefly a trap for insertion in the piping of a circulating system and having a removable container for holding entrapped foreign matter. A sleeve valve is embodied in the trap for shutting the same oil from thecirculating system in order to remove the container for cleaning or repair. Air venting means is provided for permitting'removal of air from the container, upon replacing the same in the circulating system, and a drain valve is also provided for draining ofi circulating medium from the system.

The invention will best be understood from the following description of the same, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the trap inserted in a circulating system.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 22 of Figure Llooking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the rotary sleeve valve of the trap.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings, I and 2 indicate portions of a pipe forming a part of a fluid circulating system. The circulatng pipe may take the form of a hose connection of an automobile heater or cooling system, in which the sludge trap is connected by means of the tubular extensions 3 and 4 on the body portion 5 of the trap. Suitable means, such as the cou- 2 Claims. (C1. 21'0 57) pling rings 1 and 8 of conventional design are body H.

provided to secure the ends of the pipe I and 2 on the extensions 3' and 4.

The body 5 of the trap has a screw-threaded cap portion Ill from-which extends a tubular body portion l l closed at the top.

Awasher l4 of suitable sealing material, such as rubber, is fitted within the screw-threaded cap portion 10 and this cap portion is threaded onto a sludge chamber or receptacle'lll which may take the form of a jar of glass, plastic or other suitable material. A wire clip l6 extends beneath the bottom of receptacle l5 and has its ends I18 and I9 turned inwardly to rest upon the cap l0 to assist in retaining the receptacle l5 in place.

Within the tubular body H is positioned a rotary sleeve valve 2! closed at the top, open at its bottom and having a stem 22 extending through its=top-'wall and the top of the tubular The stem 22 is furnished with a valve lever 24 held in place by a nut 25. The sleeve valve 2| bears at the top upon a gasket 26 within the tubular body H Diametrically oppositeports 21 and 28 areformed in the sleeve, which 1 ports may be brought into register with the ex- 32 serves to exclude dirt from the vents 34 and 35formed-through base portions of the deflector -for apurpose later to be made apparent. The vents 34 and open into the space 34 inwardly of the deflector 30 and outwardly of the partition 32.

The valve stem 22, as will best be seen in Figure 2, is of hollow construction, having a tubular portion 4| extending through the top of the sleeve 2|. A vent 38 is provided in the tubular portion 4l A flange 40 formed on the stem 22. rests upon. the topof the sleevev 2 l.

Within the tubular portion 4| of the stem 22 rising above the flange 40 there is arranged a needle valve 42 seating in a valve seat 44. The needle valve is adjustable by a thumb nut 45. This nut 45 has a central bore 46 opening by a port 41 into a chamber 48 in the stem 22.

The nut 45 has an extension 59 at its upper end to which may be connected any suitable de- 3 tachable drain tube, such as a piece of rubber tubing, not shown.

The sludge trap is seen in its operating condition in Figure 1. The circulating fluid flows through the pipe section I into the trap through tubular extension 3 and port 4. The fluid must then flow downwardly under deflector 36 into receptacle l thence outwardly through port 28, and pipe section 2. Any dirt, sludge or other foreign matter capable of settlingout of the fluid will thus be retained in the receptacle I5, which is preferably of transparent material so that it will be apparent when the same is in need of emptying.

When it is desired to empty the receptacle 15, the valve 2i is rotated by means of the lever 24 to move ports 21 and 28 out of register with the tubular extensions 3 and 4, thus closing the valve and shutting ofi the flow of fluid through the pipe sections l and 21 The receptacle l5 can then be removed by releasing the retainer 16 and unscrewing the receptacle from cap 10. It will be apparent that in this way there will be no loss of fluid from the circulating system by the removal of the sludge receptacle for cleaning.

When the receptacle l5 has been replaced, the needle valve 42 may be opened, and air trapped in the sludge trap will be permitted to escape as the circulating fluid flows into the receptacle 15 upon opening valve it. Thus, the air passes through partition 32, which may be of some suitable porous material, through the ports 34 and 35, and through port 38 into chamber :33 of the valve stem 22.. From the chamber 48 the air may pass through port ll and out through the bore 48 of nut 65. When all air has escaped from the trap, valve 22 is closed to prevent escape of circulating fluid.

If it is desired to drain ofi circulating fluid from the system, a iubber tube may be attached to the. extension 58 on nut 45 and the valve '32 opened. Circulating fluid will then follow the same path as just described for the escape of air from the trap. In this way fluid, such as antifreeze, can be drained off from the hot water heater or an automobile and will be filtered or strained by the porous material of the partition 32, as it is drained ofl.

*It will thus be seen that the invention provides a simple and eificient sludge trap capable of application to any type of fluid circulating system, wherein foreign matter is likely to be found which can be removed by settling,

It will, of course, be understood that the abovedescribed embodiment of the invention is given by way of example only, and that many changes can be made in the design of the apparatus and the structure and arrangement of the parts. Consequently, I do not limit myself to the precise structure shown and described, except as hereinafter claimed.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed and desiredto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a sludge trap or the like for a fluid conduit, the combination with a fitting including a tubular portion adapted to be interposed between the aligned open ends of a fluid conduit transversely thereof, aligned apertures in said fitting adapted to be aligned with said open ends of said conduit, an end wall closing one end of said fitting, the other end of said fitting being open, and a sludge trap detachably connected to said open end; of a tubular sleeve valve rotatably mounted Within said fitting and concentric thereto, said valve having an end wall closing one end, the other end of said valve being open, said open end of said valveopening through said open end of said fitting, aligned inlet and outlet ports in said valve, means for rotating said valve in said fitting to move said ports into and out of alignment with said apertures of said fitting to open and close said valve, a partition of porous material extending across said Valve in inwardly-spaced relation to the end wall thereof, air vents formed through said end walls of said valve and fitting, and means for opening and closing one of said vents.

2. In a sludge trap or the like for a fluid conduit, the combination with a fitting including a tubular portion adapted to be interposed between aligned open ends of a fluid conduit transversely thereof, aligned apertures in said fitting adapted to bealigned with said open ends of said conduit, an end wall closing one end of said fitting, the other end of said fitting being open, and a sludge trap detachably connected to said open end; of a tubular sleeve valve rotatably mounted within said fitting and concentric thereto, said valve having an end wall closing one end, the other end of said valve being open, said open end of said valve opening through said open end of said fitting, aligned inlet and outlet ports in said valve, means for rotating said valve in said fitting to move said ports into and out of alignment with said apertures of said fitting to open and close said valve, a partition of porous material extending across said valve in inwardly-spaced relation to the end Wall thereof, air vents formed through said end walls of valve and fitting, said end wall of said valve having an inwardly-directed portion comprising a hollow deflector extending axially inwardly of said valve toward said open end between said ports, said deflector extending throughsaid partition, said air vent of said valve being formed through a base portion of said deflector, and means for opening and closing said vent of said fitting.

' ROBERT S. HENRY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 825,807 Clarke July 10, 1906 1,623,437 Pohle Apr. 5, 1927 1,992,472 Craig Feb. 26, 1935 2,050,091 Gibson et al Aug. 4, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 4,417 Great Britain 1906 

